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• Bachelor’s Degree (any field of study) from an accredited college or university
• Average 3.0 GPA or above on a 4.0 scale

A completed application for the Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Ministry, or Master of Arts (Theological Studies) degrees includes the following items:

• Application for admission
• Autobiographical statement of approx. 800-1,000 words.
• Official transcripts from all institutions where you have completed academic work since high school.
• References from three people using the Master’s recommendation form [PDF].

The application deadlines are as follows:

• February 7: Priority deadline/all students applying for the Fund for Leader scholarship with the ELCA
• May 22: General application deadline for LSTC scholarships
• January 15: International student deadline

Financial aid is based primarily on merit and financial need. There is no financial aid application.

For those who still need access to the PDF app forms:

Download Masters Application Form

Download Masters Recommendation Form

• MDiv degree (or equivalent) from an accredited institution
• Applicants from the United States and Canada must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), General Test only.
• Applicants for whom English is not a primary language, including all applicants from abroad, must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the Internationall English Language Testing System (IELTS).

A completed application for the Master of Theology and Doctor of Philosophy degrees includes the following items:

• Essay no longer than two pages single-spaced
• References from two or three people, depending on degree program
• Writing sample of no more than twenty pages
• Official transcripts from all institutions where you have completed academic work since high school
• GRE test scores for all applicants from United States and Canada
• TOEFL or IELTS test scores for all international applicants
• Resume or CV (optional)
• Additional considerations (optional)

The application deadline for all students is January 15 for the following academic year. All application items below must be received by LSTC by that date in order to be considered, including GRE, TOEFL, and IELTS test scores.

All advanced studies applicants must pay a one-time application fee of $50. Fee may be paid through checks paid by bank draft, postal money order, or personal check written on a U.S. bank (payable to LSTC.)

Financial aid is based primarily on merit. A limited number of advanced study scholarships and fellowships are available for PhD students. Due to budgetary constraints, financial assistance is not generally available for ThM students.

The ELCA’s International Leaders Program offers a limited number of scholarship opportunities to international applicants who come from churches/institutions that are in relationship with the ELCA. Applications to this program are normally due in mid-October for funding in the following academic year. Applicants to this program must be endorsed by the leadership of their home church body/institution. For more information, contact Kaleb Sutherland and Ann Hightower.

Doctor of Ministry in Preaching Program

Ecumenical Doctor of Ministry Program

Contact Academic Services Assistant Janet L. Hoffman for more information.

Learn more about the ACTS DMin in Preaching program

Lutheran Year students can affiliate and attend LSTC as non-degree seeking students, but also have the opportunity to complete coursework for the Master of Arts in Ministry (MAM) degree or the Master of Theology in Lutheran ministry studies (ThM) degree. Lutheran Year students who affiliate as degree-seeking students will need to work closely with their advisor and the director of their chosen degree program to confirm requirements and timeline for their degree.

Lutheran Year students are considered affiliate students and must apply for admission to LSTC. If applying for the ThM degree, students must complete the Advanced Studies application. All other affiliate and Lutheran Year applicants must complete the application for MDiv, MAM, and MA degrees. A one-time affiliation fee of $900 must be paid in full at the time of application.